Q: How many extracurricular activities are OK for children in second and fourth grades? My kids are those ages, and one wants no activities, while another wants too many for my schedule. Other parents seem to spend all their time ferrying kids from dance to soccer. How much is enough?

A: It is important to find a balance in scheduling activities for your children, the Help for Families panel says.

Research shows that participating in extracurricular activities can have many benefits for children, but too many activities will increase your children's stress level, panelist Denise Continenza warns.

She says that today so many kids are involved in structured sports and activities that too often there are no kids around for free play.

“Something is happening to the utilization of free time,” agrees panelist Rochelle Freedman.

The key is letting your children decide what they are interested in, says panelist Bill Vogler.

“Some kids thrive on activities, while others want to do just one thing. And that's fine,” he says. “The barometer has to be your children themselves. It's a clue you have too much on your plate if you are always having to prioritize and you're not having family time and dinner together.”

Make sure your family has at least three meals a week together, says Freedman.

“It is critical to your children's well-being. If you can't do that, it's too much,” she says.

Vogler says sometimes, children are overextended because of the parents’ desires rather than the children’s.

“Some parents imposing their own unfilled wishes and dreams on their child,” Vogler says. “Over-scheduling can be compensating for something that’s missing. Ask yourself if you’re doing it for you or because your child wants to.”

He also notes there is a social expectation that kids be best at everything they try. At this age, children need to try different things to see what interests them, he says. “It seems everything has gotten hyper-organized and it’s all or nothing.”

There is a lot of value in unstructured play, Vogler says. “There should be time for kids to just play,” he says.

“Watch how kids cope with unstructured time,” says Freedman. “If they can’t, they need fewer activities and more time to engage themselves. They need to develop the capacity to be alone. You're shortchanging your children if they can't appreciate quiet off-time.”

One activity per season is a good guideline, says the panel. However, Continenza notes some activities require less time than others.

“Not all activities are as time-intensive,” she says. “Sports usually require more time to be invested.”

Organized activities also can offer benefits, says Freedman.

“Children learn socializing and they develop peer networks,” she says. “And they learn how to conduct themselves in groups. The activity itself is secondary to that.”

However, says Freedman, if your children decide they don't enjoy an activity, it's OK to let them stop.

You certainly catch people’s attention when you’re riding around in a bright yellow Volkswagon car with a giant yellow Peep attached to the roof.

Little children wave and cheer, adults pull out their cell-phone cameras for a quick shot, car horns beep and some people just stare.

I was the very first reporter to ride around in the Peepster Monday as the official vehicle representing Peeps marshmallow candies and other Just Born treats, headed out on its first ever “Random Acts of Sweetness Tour” that will take it through 10 states in three weeks.

The Peepster with “chief engineer” Paul Gustafson at the wheel made a quick stop at the Morning Call office in Allentown, after it left Just Born, Inc., in Bethlehem on its way to spend two days in the Big Apple before heading to Philadelphia and then west.

Gustafson wearing a brightly colored tie dye Peeps t-shirt greeted me and I climbed into the fairly small interior of the Peepster for a ride. (It is a VW after all.) Colorful stuffed Peeps bunnies lined the back of the car and all the social media equipment took up the console. As we drove around Allentown, the Twitter feed had messages from fans requesting stops and commenting on the car that scrolled continuously down the screen.

The tour celebrates Just Born's new online store Peeps and Company, named after Just Born’s flagship store in National Harbor, MD that opened a little over a year ago. The online store offers many of the items found in the store including candy, apparel, toys, drinkware and more.

The Peepster will be handing out free candy and prizes as it travels, to introduce the new Peepsters chocolate-covered Peeps and chocolate-dipped Peeps.

Gustafson, a father of three from Chicago, says he’ll miss his kids, but is excited to meet all the fans of Peeps on the tour.

“I volunteered to do it,” Gustafson says. “I wanted to connect with fans both online and offline.”

Gustafson says the Peepster will visit children’s hospitals, Alex’s Lemonade Foundation, as well as hand deliver some customer orders made on the Peeps and Company website along the way. Gustafson adds that fans can even use their phone readers to scan a bar code on the back of his shirt to get a discount on the website.

The tour will use social media so fans can follow the Peepster’s progress on the road with an interactive map at sweetnesstour.com. There also will be videos, photos, a journal and a place to request a stop on the website and on the tour’s Facebook page.

Gustafson says the tour is a great way to reach the fans of Peeps which have a huge following.

“There are more than 90,000 people in the official Peeps fan club,” he says.

He adds this year there also are 35 Peeps diorama contests across the country including the Morning Call’s “Valley of the Peeps” contest that kicks off March 30..

Gustafson says the tour will post its schedule two days in advance on Twitter and Facebook and a real-time feed will alerts fans what corner the Peepster will stop at in the next ten minutes.

“It’s fun,” Gustafson says. “Everyone smiles when they see the Peepster.” Check out the video of the Peepster's visit to the Morning Call at www.mcall.com.

The tentative schedule is Philadelphia, March 30; Columbus, OH, March 31; Indianapolis, IN, April1; Chicago,IL, April 2-3; Nashville, TN, April 5; Louisville, LA, April 6; Cincinnati, OH, April 7; Pittsburgh, April 8; New Jersey and Philadelphia, April 12; Baltimore, MD, April 13; Richmond, VA, April 14 and Washington DC April 15-16.

By the end of Pennsylvania Youth Theatre’s production of Robert and Willie Reale's Tony-nominated musical “A Year With Frog and Toad,” you feel you’ve made some unforgettable friends.

As the lead characters made famous in Arnold Lobel's series of books, adults actors Andrew Betz and Jamie Richard, are very likable and endearing. Both have strong voices and inhabit their characters completely. They are ably joined by 30 youth theater students in two casts as assorted squirrels, moles, birds and other small animals

Betz is totally disarming as the ever-cheerful and well-meaning frog, and Richard makes for a charming if a bit frumpy toad. Their songs together are delightful and you really believe these two are fast and firm friends.

The pair are well-supported by the chorus of five birds all cleverly clad in 1920s era flapper style costumes (aviator outfits for the boys). Led by adult actor Marjorie Polunas, student actors Sarah Davis, Alison Larkin, Garrett McDaniel and Noah Ruebeck all sing and dance very well.

A highlight of the show is Sloane Sexton as Snail who reappears several times as she takes nearly a year to deliver “The Letter” in a running gag through the show. Her appearances may have been brief but she always got a huge laugh with her on-target delivery.

As an adorable mouse, Audrey Goodman also made a strong impression especially in the humorous song “Cookies,” which ends the first act with the whole cast on stage in a shower of cookie crumbs.

The costumes by Mary Wright were perfect from Toad’s argyle vest, to the previously mentioned flapper styles to the inspired use of a flotation ring shell on Turtle’s (also played by Larkin) in the song “Getta Loada Toad.”

Likewise the set of an abstract tree backdrop fronted by two rustic houses that turned to reveal the inside designed by New York designer Robert J. Martin, worked well.

Highlights of Gina Handy’s choreography included a fun soft shoe by Betz and Richard in “He’ll Never Know” backed up by several of the cast members in an energetic tap dance.

The production through April 3 at the Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem, is directed by Bill Sevedge. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday; also 2 and 7 p.m. April 2, and 1 and 4 p.m. April 3.

Tickets are $24 for adults and $19 for students and seniors. Info: www.123pyt.org or 610-332-1400.

Parents, you won’t want to miss the season opener Saturday at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. You and your kids will have a fun-packed day plus the opportunity to see something pretty rare – three Los Lobos Mexican gray wolves that have joined the zoo’s family.

Mexican gray wolves are the most endangered wolves in North America, with only 40 remaining in the wild. The wolves now living at the zoo are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, a wildlife conservation program that conserves a select and threatened or endangered species population. The zoo also is working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s international recovery program that will reintroduce captive-born wolves into the wild.

Even the wolves that are part of the Species Survival Plan could be returned to the wild, so it’s important that their natural behaviors be observed, even their feeding habits. During your visit, you may have the chance to see them feeding as wolves do in the wild. They will receive prey carcasses from time to time.

The exhibit will open officially with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., but activities begin at 10 a.m. when the zoo opens. And there are so many fun and educational things for you and your kids to see and do.

Head to a table set up near the Birds of Prey exhibit any time from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where each member of the family can make a wolf mask.

And, don’t miss the Howling Contest at noon that will be conducted with the help of local Boy Scouts. Everyone is invited to compete by offering up their best wolf howl for a chance to win prizes. Celebrity judges will pick the winners.

Join in on the scavenger hunt for wolf tracks for a chance to win prizes from The Morning Call, a zoo partner. The Call also will provide each kid with a commemorative 8 1/2-by-11-inch wolf poster.

The zoo will have several animal encounters throughout the day. Some will allow you to touch and pet animals, such as snakes, lizards, ferrets and rabbits, and others will provide you with an up-close look at species, such as porcupine, penguin, spiders, owls, hawks and more. In addition, animal artifacts – elk antlers, a wolf skull, bones teeth and more – will be on display.

The zoo is located at 5150 Game Preserve Road near Schnecksville. Hours: Beginning April 1,10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission: $9.75 for adult (12-64), $8.75 for seniors (65 and older), $7.75 for children (2-11) and free for children under 2.

On Saturday, Boy Scouts in uniform will be admitted free. And Scout family members will get a $2 off the regular admission. Info: 610-799-4171 or www.lvzoo.org.

Celebrate the history of Bethlehem on Community Day Saturday when Historic Bethlehem Partnership offers free admission and special projects for families at six of its museums from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Children can join in the “Hunt for History!” fun at Kemerer Museum with an egg hunt in the museum, a story and an activity game. The museum also has a new exhibit, “Design in Divided America,” about how design evolved during the Civil War.

Learn how people were given mercury for a toothache at “Kill or Cure? The Unintended Consequences of Medicine in the 1800s” which examines medical practices during the Civil War at the Goundie House. Guest curator, Jan Larson, will answer questions on the exhibit.

Families can learn how to fold a Moravian Star at the Moravian Museum, the oldest building in Bethlehem, and hear the story of the city from an 18th century Moravian named Johannette Maria Ettwein, portrayed by Historic Bethlehem Partnership President Charlene Mowers. The performance will be at 1 p.m. followed by a question and answer session.

Frank Behum will sign copies of his book about Bethlehem Steel, “30 Years Under the Beam,” from noon to 2 p.m. at the Bethlehem Visitor Center.

Watch live demonstrations of blacksmithing at the 1750 Smithy and tour Bethlehem’s rarely-opened 1762 Waterworks, the first municipal pumped water system in America. There also will be children’s colonial games in the Colonial Industrial Quarter along the Monocacy Creek and you can preview the Heritage Trail, a self-guided 75-stop historical journey through the city.

At Burnside Plantation, visit Bethlehem’s police horses and see a cooking demonstration in the colonial kitchen, after touring the 1800s garden and colonial house.

Everyone loves Peeps, those delicious marshmallow confections made by Bethlehem candy maker Just Born. And this is the time of year when they can be found just about everywhere.

So we decided to hold a contest challenging readers to come up with a Peeps scene that highlights the Lehigh Valley.

Entries in our “Valley of the Peeps” contest can be flat, a diorama or a three-dimensional sculpture as long as it represents a locale from the Lehigh Valley. Be as creative as you can.

Photos of entries can be uploaded at www.morningcall.com/peeps March 30 through 5 p.m. April 14. A phone number is required to enter. Phone numbers will not be published. A panel of judges will pick the finalists that will be featured in the Morning Call on April 22. From April 22 through 5 p.m. April 27, vote for your favorite “Valley of the Peeps” finalist at www.morningcall.com/peeps and the two entries with the most online votes will win prize packages from Just Born.

First place wins a $100 gift certificate to the new Peeps & Company store at www.peepsandcompany.com and a gift box with Peeps and other Just Born candy, with a value of more than $150.

Second place wins a $50 gift certificate to Peeps & Company and includes a gift box with Peeps and other Just Born candy, with a value of more than $100.

The winners will be featured in the Morning Call on May 6.

In this entry from the Morning Call's 2009 Peeps contest 8-year-old Nevin Bingaman if Allentown created a Lehigh Valley area movie theater with the help of his mom. The diorama was inspired by Nevin's 8th birthday at the "PeepMike Theater."

Enchanting is the best word to describe the new production of “Peter Pan” by the Act 3 Children's Theatre Company of DeSales University.

From the adorably rag tag lost boys to the appropriately blustering (and only a tiny bit scary) pirates to the amazing acrobatic antics of Peter Pan, DeSales “Peter Pan” hits all the right notes to delight children, as well as their parents.

As usual Act 3 is inventive with their costumes and just the entrance of Nana the dog portrayed by Davina Faust who lopes in on all fours, drew laughs from the audience at the opening show Tuesday. Likewise, Captain Hook, played by Jacob Dresch made an equally strong impression when he first appeared with his outrageous handlebar moustache and intimidating hook.

Nicole Murray makes for a sweet and winsome Wendy who is caught up in the adventure to Neverland with her younger brother Peter played bookishly by Tom Guastavino.

Special effects are especially effective. Tinkerbell comes to life both with the sound of tinkling bells and the creative use of the magic fingertip light trick, in which Peter seemingly plucks the tiny green led light representing Tinkerbell out of mid air.

Anthony Azzolina as Peter is an exceptionally athletic Peter doing flips as he wrestles with his own shadow and sliding between the legs of Hook during a fight.

There are no wires in the flying scenes and when the Darling children and Peter fly to Neverland they simply carry puppets of themselves on long sticks. However creative lighting using laser lights and a disco ball along with some dry ice smoke, turn the whole theater into a magical star-filled sky.

When the lost boys are introduced to the audience, they do a fun percussive dance ala Stomp. I wasn’t quite sure it fit, but it was entertaining.

The kids, many of whom sit on the carpet around the stage area are right in the middle of the action and are invited to clap to show they believe in fairies at a key part of the story. The children, who frequently try to warn characters and gleefully boo Captain Hook, have their words playfully incorporated in to the play. At one point, when the children laughed at the foibles of Captain Hook played to comic perfection by Dresch, the actor quickly adlibbed to respond to the children in character.

In the final battle between the lost boys and the pirates, the kids are literally immersed in the action that utilizes the entire theater including the aisles and steps.

“Peter Pan” runs through May 7 at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the DeSales campus in Center Valley. Performances are at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with additional shows at 12:30 p.m. on selected dates. There will be a sign language-interpreted performance at 12:30 p.m. April 7. Tickets are $8. Info: 610-282-3192 or www.desales.edu/act1.

Bring your budding dancers for a free dance class at Cedar Crest College's first ever Community Dance Day from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday presented by the students of Nu Delta Alpha, the dance honor society.

Free classes will be offered for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11 in tap, lyrical, ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, improv and step-dancing. Classes for age 5-11 will be offered in creative movement, Broadway theater jazz, African cultural and moving in space. A family zumba class for parents and children will be held at 3 p.m.

The classes will be held at the dance studios on campus and the Alumnae Stage and Samuel's Theater and students will be told where to go for the class after they register. There is not a limit on the number of classes, and children may sign up the day of the event, but the society would prefer they sign up ahead of time by emailing nudeltaa@cedarcrest.edu to help with planning. Children should wear comfortable clothes they can move in.

Bring dance shoes if you have them but if you don't that's fine, says Cinthia Marino, president of Nu Delta Alpha.

"We want this to be a fun educational day," she says. "We want to give students a taste of different dance styles and teachers. Our main goal is to share our passion for dance."

When Jeni Rae Duschak was a freshman at Cedar Crest College, she got involved in the MathConn program which promotes math and science programs for girls.

She was so inspired she wrote a children’s play, “Yes We Did,” which features five women from history who talk about their contributions in math, science and education.

Duschak will present a free premiere of the show at 1, 3:30 and 6 p.m. Saturday in the children’s book department of the Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem.

“I felt that it was important to empower young women to pursue careers in mathematics and science,” she says. “I wanted to introduce girls to positive female role models that would show them that women can have successful careers in these fields, and that there is nothing unattractive or unfeminine about a woman who is gifted in the sciences.”

The half-hour show features a modern-day father who thinks the sciences aren’t for girls until he gets a visit from some famous women, including Hypatia of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician, philosopher and astronomer; Sophie Germain, a French mathematician and physicist, Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing; Emmy Noether, a Jewish woman living during the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany whose work in Theoretical Physics was admired by Albert Einstein and Grace Hopper, a woman who was a pioneer in the field of Computer Programming.

Duschak says she wants to encourage young women to follow their dreams by showing that throughout time women have always persevered.

The show stars Jane Horvath, Kimberly Tassinaro, Chris West, Sara Domonkos, and Kristy Houston. Duschak plans to develop the show for traveling productions for schools and other organizations.

An original children’s play, inspired by the works of Dr. Suess and written by a Kutztown University grad, will be presented by the Kutztown University Sunshine Players Saturday and Sunday as part of several events to celebrate Dr. Suess month.

The Sunshine Players are teaming up with university’s Community Outreach Center and America Reads to host the free “Dr. Suess on the Loose” 10 a.m. to noon Saturday featuring games, prizes, food, crafts, a free book for every child, and a visit from the Cat in the Hat. The event is in the McFarland Student Union Building, Room 281.

The Sunshine Players also will present Sally Snoo and the Bird From Kaloo,” at 12:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the university’s Rickenbach Theatre

The original half-hour children’s play written by 2007 Kutztown University graduate Trystin S. Bailey follows the adventures of Sally, a young girl who is searching for a famous six-foot-tall bird from Kaloo to add to her collection of exotic animals. In this tongue-twisting, Dr. Seuss-themed production, Sally learns about friendship and animal rights. Kids are encouraged to join in the fun and sing along. Bailey who lives in New York previously wrote the Sunshine Players production, “The Adventures of Peter Piper, “and has written plays that has been performed at small New York area theaters.

Admission is free but the Sunshine Players will be accepting donations of new and used children’s books at all performances to donate to a local children’s charity.

The players also will present an encore performance at 10 a.m. March 31 at Barnes and Noble at the Promenade Shops in Saucon Valley.

For more than 30 years, the Sunshine Players have produced children’s theatre productions and celebrated the arts with local youth by performing shows at nearby elementary schools and on campus.

Kids can take part in a 2K run and learn about healthy living at a health and fitness fair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Velocity Performance Center, 250 Centronia Rd., Allentown. The 2K for children age 7-12 is being held by Junior League of the Lehigh Valley's Kids in the Kitchen anti-childhood obesity initiative.

The run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. will kick off the free fair that will offer food, fun and fitness including a container gardening project, golf simulation, karate demonstration and games with prizes.

Special guest will include mascots Ferrous and Fifi from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and Dr. Robert Palumbo will host his ESPN morning radio show “ The Sports Doc” from the fair.

Kids can try the free throw, vertical and long jump and the medicine ball toss to win prizes.

Other groups that will have displays include Advantage Nutrition & Wellness; Leading Edge Karate; Sports Psychologist - Mr. Ginn; Sticks & Flicks; Cohen Chiropractic and The Velodrome. KITK will be making fresh free smoothies for all participants.

Register at www.jllvpa.orgfor the 2K run. Children age 7-9 will run from 9:15 to 10 a.m. and children age 10-12 will run from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. Info: 610-866-8852.

Q: My 3-year-old used to go to bed easily and sleep through the night. Now it is a struggle to get him to bed and he says that there are “mean guys” in his room. What is going on and what should I do about this?

A: It is normal for children to go through stages in sleeping and being afraid of things at night is one of those stages, the Help for Families panel says. However there are ways you can help your son to rest more easily.

What is he doing before bed, asks panelist Rochelle Freedman. Is he watching scary movies or has he heard a scary story that could be influencing this?

Something as simple as watching the news could be giving him nightmares, agrees panelist Denise Continenza. “It could be something that doesn’t even register to an adult viewer,” she says.

Also see if there is anything that is going on in his life or in the family that could have upset his routine, she adds.

“Talk to him and try to find out more about the mean guys,” Continenza says. “Try to clear up whatever is bothering him.”

Most children’s fears are not about monsters, the panel says.

Make sure he is relaxed and ready to settle down when he goes to bed, the panelists say. Avoid caffeinated or chocolate drinks at night and make sure he gets enough exercise during the day so there is no pent-up energy at night. Keep activity levels low and don’t let him watch TV, which can be stimulating.

Create a calming bedtime ritual, Freedman says. Give him a lavender bath, read a special book, put on his warm pajamas and let him cuddle with his favorite toy.

“Rituals are comforting,” agrees Continenza, “and they can become internalized and reassure your son. It worked last night and will work again tonight.”

She also suggests you give your son a flashlight as “monster repellant” to give him a coping mechanism that empowers him to chase away his fears.

You also may consider lying down with your son for a while, although the topic of bed-sharing is controversial, Continenza says.

“You could sleep with him until he falls asleep,” she says. “However the downsides are a child can get dependent on it, and it encroaches on a parent’s personal time. If you chose this route you may want to put a time limit on it or use a timer.”

In many cases, children who share a bed with their parents will end it on their own, she says.

Whenever you are trying to change a behavior, there is always the chance of regression.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: A capella South African ensemble perform hits from their just released album “Songs from a Zulu Farm,” a collection of songs about growing up on the farm in South Africa. Pre-show chat with member Albert Mazibuko and manager Mitch Goldstein, 7 p.m. (ticket holders). Friday 8 p.m. Through March 18. Tickets: $20-$50. University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-898-3900.

Storybook Fun Party: Visit with Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and Princesses, The Crayola Pip-Squeaks Baby Blue Marker and the Crayola Crayon Tip characters, birthday cake, ice cream, music, more. 2 p.m. Tickets: $10. Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Third Saturdays in the Reading Room: Reading and fitness with City of Bethlehem Police Department Fitness Trainer Michael Ogrodnick and fellow officers. Sponsored by the e Morning Star Rotary. 10 a.m.-noon. Through April 16. Northampton Community College Fowler Family Southside Center, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem, 610-861-5526. www.copsnkidslv.org.

St. Patrick's Day Parade: Parade begins at the high school, through Main Street and and ends at the East Stoudsburg Township Building. Sponsored by The Pocono Irish American Club. 1:30 p.m. Stroudsburg High School, West Main St., Exit 48, I-80, Stroudsburg. www.poconoirishparade.org.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open noon to 5 p.m. p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22

Peter Pan: Act 3 Children's Theatre Company present the adventure of the Darling children who, along with Peter, Wendy, and Captain Hook, travel to Neverland in search of lost shadows. 10 a.m. Through May 7. Tickets: $8. DeSales University, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, 610-282-3192. www.desales.edu/act1.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Create a “First Signs of Spring” Project, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Peter Pan: Act 3 Children's Theatre Company present the adventure of the Darling children who, along with Peter, Wendy, and Captain Hook, travel to Neverland in search of lost shadows. 10 a.m. Through May 7. Tickets: $8. DeSales University, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, 610-282-3192. www.desales.edu/act1

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Create a “First Signs of Spring” Project, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Members of Daisy Troop 6549 are passing up field trips to help victims of Allentown's recent gas explosion and fire instead. They're going to donate all of their earnings from a fundraising pancake breakfast this Saturday morning at the Trexlertown Applebee's to the victims.

Originally, they'd planned to use the money to pay for some fun activities. But now, the 22 six and seven year olds from the Parkland School District troop are hoping to pack the restaurant with customers who also want to help the people who suffered huge losses in the Feb. 9 event which took lives and leveled homes in the area around 13th and Allen streets in the city.

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is expected to be among the guests paying $5 for the breakfast which will include pancakes, sausage and a choice of beverage. The cost for children under 10 will be $3.50.

Kim Beers, assistant general manager of the restaurant, reports the troop will receive all of the profits from the breakfast, which means they'll get $3.50 for each $5 meal that's purchased.

Prospective guests don't have to do anything but show up and eat. Beers says, "We can handle about 500 people in that amount of time."

The final book of Nazareth author David Lubar's five-book series on a fifth-grade zombie came out earlier this year and ends the tale of Nathan Abercrombie in a way fans will find satisfying.

The book marks the end of the two-year blitz of "Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie" books about the the misadventures of the unlikely hero that is aimed at middle grade readers.

In the final book, "Enter the Zombie" evil organization RABID is using a student academic and athletic competition to recruit agents, and Nathan and his friends Abigail, and Mookie must try to stop them. And meanhwile, poor Nathan whose zombie tendencies are worsening and he keeps losing body parts (which must be glued back on) is trying to find the cure for his zombie state.

The story started in 2009 with "My Rotten Life," followed by "Dead Guy Spy" and "Goop Soup." The series has garnered praise for its humor and appeal for reluctant readers.

Despite being a zombie, Nathan is a likeable kid who wants to do the right thing, Lubar says.

"There is a deep and satisfying story beneath the slime and drippiness," he says. "The characters have moral choices to make and the story operates in the complex universe of an elementary school. I think the ending of "My Rotten Life" is one of the best I've written."

Lubar who also is known for his "Weenies" books -- anthologies of macabre short stories for young readers -- has his fifth version "Invasion of the Vampire Weenies" due out in May.

The PSSA tests have started this week in local schools. For the past couple weeks, students preparing to take the tests have attended pep rallies and workshops, where they have been exhorted to get enough sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. But no one has spread the familiar message of test preparation with more creativity than “Dancing the PSSA's!” performed by DanceMax Moving Company, made up of Muhlenberg College students.

Every Wednesday through the semester, the dance group from the Allentown college visits area elementary schools to spread the word about being ready for the PSSA test while, coincidentally, teaching children about the elements of dance.

Kindergarten through third grade students giggled and cheered as the nine Muhlenberg students recently presented the wacky tale they wrote and choreographed at Sheridan Elementary School in Allentown. The dance-filled story follows students on a field trip aboard a space ship that takes them to a distant planet inhabited by dancing aliens. Along the way the crew also learns about study skills, remaining calm, being prepared and, even having a good supply of number 2 pencils.

The two intrepid students played by Nina Moshman, 20, and Rebecca Savage, 21 along with their teacher Miss Nebula, played by Kaitlin Correnti, 19, get stuck on Planet Dance when they run out of gas because they’re not prepared, and must find aliens who can help them and avoid the evil “dance-inator.”

“The children learn study skills that help them prepare for life as well as the PSSAs,” says Teresa VanDenend Sorge, the group’s faculty coordinator.

“We need to be prepared, remain calm and have all the necessary tools,” intones Moshman during the action, as she almost obsessively reminds younger students about the importance of the PSSA test.

VanDenend Sorge admits the topic of test preparation may be a little unusual for a dance program but says they decided to incorporate test taking tips because “there’s a lot of focus on the PSSA test.”

She says the troupe met with Allentown school district officials to find out which skills were most important for test taking.

“We have to learn how to use the arts as teachers,” VanDenend Sorge says. “We need to know how to be effective in the community as arts educators.”

Along the way the kids also learn that energy, time and space are necessary elements of dance.

Tap dancing led by Kadeem Alston-Roman, 20, demonstrates the element of time through rhythm and accents. Alston-Roman also give a short history of the form with nods to legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and the use of tap dancing in the animated film “Happy Feet.”

Hip hop dance showcases the element of energy and children from the audience are brought up on stage to explore different types of energy themselves, moving both slowly and quickly.

The importance of where a dancer is in space, is explained through ballet in which the dancers show how the classical form uses shapes and levels in its moves.

Other dance forms explored include African dance and modern, in which three students dance on stretchy fabric bags, which eliciting excited gasps from the Sheriden students.

Kasey Celona, 20, an elementary education major, says being a part of the dance program is very rewarding.

“We’ve talked about how to engage kids,” she says. “I’ve seen a lot of connection to my elementary education work. This is right up my alley. It’s so much fun as well as a lot of work.”

Other Muhlenberg dancers include Parker Reichman, Taylor Kalinisan, Gabrielle Field and Annie Williams.

Q: My 7-year-old son begged to take piano lessons. At first he was excited to begin and practiced regularly, now it is a constant struggle to get him to practice. He says he wants to play, but I am tired of coaxing him to practice. What should I do?

A: Children at this age are trying out different things and may not stick with one thing, the Help for Families panel says.

“This age is a time for exploration,” says panelist Denise Continenza. “It’s critical to expose a child to different activities. But I don’t know if I would expect a child this age to stick with one thing.”

He ultimately will choose a few activities to focus on, the panel says. Don’t expect him to follow through on everything he tries.

However what’s important here, is he says he wants to play, notes panelist Rochelle Freedman.

“Playing piano must be giving him some level of pleasure,” she says. “So then it’s up to you as adult to help motivate him and reward behaviors that lead to more discipline.”

Motivation can be extrinsic, influenced by external rewards, or intrinsic, influenced by the desire to improve, and few 7-year-olds are intrinsically motivated, Continenza says.

In addition to offering positive reinforcement, you also can help him effectively schedule his practice time, Freedman says.

“Don’t make it into a power struggle,” Continenza says. “Give him some choices. Ask him when he would like to practice. Use ‘when … then: When you practice for 15 minutes, then you can …’ ”

Many adults wish their parents had motivated them more in music lessons as a child, Freedman says.

Another thing to keep in mind is in the early weeks learning a new skill is not a lot of fun.

“It can be pretty sobering for a kid who thinks he can sit down and do it,” Continenza says. “He’s not getting the full pleasure from the activity until he gets to a place where he can play though a song. At the beginning it can be rough going.”

Even if the music doesn’t sound great, reinforce the positive, Freedman says.

“A child looks to his parent to get feedback and appreciation,” she says. “By complimenting him on his discipline you are giving a child a sense of accomplishment, that then gives them that internal motivation. They will have the satisfaction of pursuing a goal and realizing accomplishments.”

You and your son can go to concerts and listen to music together to reinforce his excitement about playing, Freedman says.

Talk to his music teacher. Perhaps a different style of music would inspire him more, Continenza says.

However if your son continues to balk at practicing and it starts to cause anxiety, you may need to revisit the issue, she says. There’s no point in pushing an activity that is creating stress.

“Sometimes children just don’t have the interest and parents need to accept that,” she says.

It's been a rough week in the news. On Wednesday, my son overheard a story on the morning news about a horrible fire near Harrisburg in which seven children aged 7 months to 11, died in a fire in their farmhouse. He couldn't stop talking about it. The thought of seven children dying as they slept in their beds seemed to haunt him. He tried to come up with ways it could have been avoided - smoke alarm, the one surviving three-year-old child alerting the others - but that wasn't what happened.

Now this morning, it is the terrifying videos of the tsunami in Japan and the news that hundreds have lost their lives. And it started all over.

I know some parents shield their kids from watching the news just because it can be upsetting, but my son is almost 9 and old enough to know that bad things happen in the world.

I went to the Help for Families panel to see what they had to say and they agreed children need to know what's happening in the world.

"Your child will absorb your level of anxiety," says panelist Rochelle Freedman. "He will look to you for clues as to how you feel."

Let your son take the lead in the conversation, says panelist Denise Continenza.

"Let him tell you what he wants to know," she says. "Ask open-ended questions. Answer his questions with facts."

The most typical reaction is fear, Freedman says. A child will want to feel that he and his family will be all right. "Offer him comfort and assurance," she says.

However, you need to be honest. You can't prevent tragedies, but you can let him know you will do all you can to protect him, Lightwood says. "Empower him to do something that would make him feel more secure," she says.

This is a perfect time to talk about your family emergency plan, Continenza adds.

"Talk about what you would do and it will give him a sense that there is a plan in place to take care of him in case of emergency," she says.

"Be prepared to change focus if the conversation causes too much anxiety," Freedman says. "It can be helpful if you give him time to process everything."

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. During March create a Hurry Up Spring Greeting Card, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Parade of Shamrocks: Inaugural Celtic Classic event with floats, pipe bands, and more travels from Sixth and Broad streets, east to Main, south on Main to the Celtic Classic festival grounds and culminates with a five-hour concert extravaganza (5 p.m.; $18). Concert includes pipe band performances, music by Emish and Glengarry Boys, O'Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance. 2:30 p.m. Broad Street, Bethlehem. www.celticfest.org.

A Sonnet in a Bonnet, with Spring Flowers On It: Craft a decorative bonnet out of basic supplies from around the house and listen to popular children's sonnets at Cops N Kids Reading Room. 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Northampton Community College Fowler Family Southside Center, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem, 610-861-7561. www.copsnkidslv.org.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. During March create a Hurry Up Spring Greeting Card, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar character and enjoy story time, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open noon to 5 p.m. At 2 p.m. O'Grady Quinlan Academy Irish Dancers perform. Create a Hurry Up Spring Greeting Card, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar character and enjoy story time, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171.

Carbon County St. Patrick's Day Parade: Six hundred, thirty four marchers, over 107 vehicles and 12 bands parade through West Broadway and Broadway in Jim Thorpe, ending at the Carbon County Courthouse. Sun. 1 p.m. Jim Thorpe, 570-325-2599.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making leprechaun hats, also print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Weather is warming up at the Lehigh Valley Zoo. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cooler weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

The winners of a contest that recognizes the best microscopic images of human, plant, and animal subjects bring larger than life photos of wild flower seeds, insect eyes, algae and even parts of a rat's brain to the Da Vinci Science Center in a new exhibit through May 31.

The exhibit on display in the lower-level corridor outside Leonardo’s Theatre features the 10 winners and 11 honorable mention and special awards of the Olympus BioScapes 2010.

Winning images from the annual contest recognizes the world’s best microscopic images of human, plant, and animal subjects captured through light microscope and travel across North America. Olympus America is based in Center Valley is in the eighth year of sponsoring at the international photo competition that honors the microscope images of life science subjects.

The winning photo by German biologist Igor Siwanowicz, shows a daddy longlegs oval eye lenses, retinas, and optic nerves. Other award winners include a close up of a rat hippocampus; coral, flower parts, spirogyra; a beetle leg and a portrait of a weevil.

All the winners and the 59 honorable mention and merit awards can be seen on the Bioscapes website, where science students can download a screensaver of the winners.

"Microscope images forge an extraordinary bond between science and art," said Osamu Joji, Olympus America's Vice President and General Manager for the Scientific Equipment Group. "We founded this competition to focus on the fascinating stories coming out of today's life science."

The show is included with admission to Da Vinci Center which is $11.95, adults; $8.95, ages 4-12. The center is at 3145 Hamilton Blvd. Bypass, Allentown. Info: www.davinci-center.org or 484-664-1002.

In 2009, Sara Holby, 23, of Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, started a company selling Kenyan tea to provide jobs for Kenyan women and pay school fees for orphans in western Kenya through the nonprofit AjiriFoundation. She is pictured with 10-year-old Diana who lost her parents to AIDs and is HIV positive, with her grandparents who are taking care of her and other orphaned grandchildren. The other students who benefit from the program can be seen here.

In a little more than a year, Holby who started the company with her mother reports the foundation is sending 19 Kenyan students to school in primary school and up, and the tea is in 200 stores across the country.

And the tea, a premium black tea grown and handpicked on small-scale farms in the Kisii Highlands of Western Kenya, recently won first place in the 2011 North American Tea Championships. The tea won in the black tea category for brewed color, aroma, flavor and harmony. The tea competed against nearly 200 teas in 18 different categories.

Holby says the company employs 63 women to make the labels, twine and beads that decorate the packaging and one of the women even bought a cow with her earnings. The children sponsored by the Ajiri Foundation are all doing well in school, she says.

The tea, which is also available at www.ajiritea.com, costs $10 for loose tea, and $9 for 16 tea bags.

Orefield author Kim Chatel who grew up in the French Canadian province of Quebec, struggled to learn French, the official language of the province. Now she is hoping her new children's book book "Clip-Clop, Tippity-Tap - French Vocabulary on the Farm," will help other children on the road to becoming bilingual. The picture book aimed at children ages 5 to 9 was inspired by her grandmother, Yvette Brunet, who didn't finish high school but taught herself English, by reading magazines and books.

In Chatel's latest children's book, children can learn French phrases and vocabulary while reading about Mini-moi, a miniature pony from Ferme LaPomme. The text includes a glossary of terms, including French animal sounds and a pronunciation guide. The softcover book is illustrated by Kathleen Bullock

The story follows Mini-moi, a little pony only six hands tall, who wants to work on the farm like the big horses, but is too small. When Mini-moi runs away he finds a whole menagerie of animals in need and learns even the smallest ones can be big helpers.

Chatel has written several award-winning titles for children including "A Talent for Quiet," about a young girl and her stepfather taking photos along a creek which features Chatel's photographs taken at Jordan Creek in the Trexler Nature Preserve; "Rainbow Sheep," which includes a section with instructions on how to make a wool felted sheep and "Burgher and the Woebegone," a fairy tale about a grumpy gnome that allows children to choose the ending.

Chatel who moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2006, has been writing adult fiction for 10 years under her maiden name, Kim McDougall. When her daughter Genevieve, was born, Chatel was introduced to picture books.

Her first children's book "Rainbow Sheep" grew out of a game she played with her daughter. Chatel would start a story and tell the girl to finish it in her dreams.

At a writing conference, Chatel got the interest of Guardian Angel Publishing, a small publisher that specializes in children's books.

Q: My 10-year-old son is out of control. He talks back to me, will not listen and always seems to be in some kind of trouble. If he keeps this up, I am afraid to think of what the teen years will bring.

A: It is not too late to get your son under control, the Help for Families panel says.

“At age 10, there is still hope,” says panelist Bill Vogler. “You have some work ahead of you. You need at the least to take a parenting class and maybe consider play or family therapy.”

“Out-of-control adults end up in jail,” he adds. “Your son needs discipline. But that doesn’t mean punishment, it means boundaries and values.”

Panelist Denise Continenza asks if your son is out of control both in school and at home.

“Sometimes children only act out at home and have gotten themselves into a pattern of behavior,” she says.

Start by picking one or two behaviors that you want to target, Vogler suggests.

“Pick the most important, such as using foul language or hitting,” Vogler says. “Determine a consequence, tell him about it ahead of time and follow through on it until he gets it.”

He suggests consequences could range from a time-out to a loss of TV or computer.

“Sometimes kids can play one parent off the other,” Vogler agrees. “Both parents have to be on the same page.”

A child’s natural goal is to want to please his parents, says panelist Rochelle Freedman.

“A misbehaving child is often in pain or has unmet needs,” Freedman says. “Try to soften your heart to realize your child is trying to get your attention to fix something he needs. Children’s behaviors usually reveal what they are seeking. All children need love, belonging and structure.”

“Look at how you respond when your son acts out,” Continenza says. “A parent has to communicate in an authoritative voice. The parent has the ultimate veto.”

Don’t get involved in an argument with the child, the panelists says.

“When a parent responds in a similar fashion, you’re just feeding off,” Matt says. “When there is a limited age gap between a parent and child, there is more potential for that dynamic. Never should a parent be held hostage in a negative negotiation.”

Freedman tries to tell parents it’s not about fixing the child, it’s about the evolution of the parenting.

“Kids are very perceptive, but getting the upper hand with a child doesn’t require violence,” she says.

Give it time, the panel says.

“It took a while to get to this point, it will take time to remediate,” Continenza says.

Daily events for families in and around the Lehigh Valley and region. In case of bad weather, call first.

Sesame Street Live “Elmo's Green Thumb”: Sunny isn't just the weather forecast on Sesame Street. It's also the name of Elmo's sunflower friend! Join all your favorite friends on a musical adventure as they try to help Elmo find a new home for Sunny. 10:30 a.m. 7 p.m. Through Sun. Tickets: $13; $17; $22. Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza, 255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com.

The Music Man: The story of traveling salesman, Harold Hill, and his visit to River City, Iowa where he meets and falls in love with the willful, spinster librarian, Marian. 7:30 p.m. Through Sat. Tickets: $10. Zion's United Church of Christ, Second and Iron streets Lhtn, Lehighton, 610-377-1191. www.zionlehighton.org/zow.htm.

First Friday Bethlehem: Selections from the Scholastic Art Show runs through March 31. 7-10 p.m. Timezones Global Goodies and Framing Gallery, 7 E. Third St., Bethlehem, paintings by Eleanor Bystrom and music by Jonathan Beedle at Fox Optical, more. 6-10 p.m. Third and Fourth streets, Bethlehem. 600-868-1513, www.firstfridaybethlehem.com.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. During March also create a A Very Hungry Caterpillar collage, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Winter is always a great time to visit the Lehigh Valley Zoo - admission is cheaper and many animals prefer the cold weather to the heat of summer. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cold weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171

Children’s music superstars The Laurie Berkner Band has just announced it will bring its “Birthday Party Concert” to the State Theatre in Easton at 2 p.m. April 9. Laurie Berkner, the undeniable queen of kindie rock, was the first artist to ever appear in music videos on Nick Jr., formerly called Noggin, Nickelodeon’s 24-hour preschool network, and is featured in nearly all of the episodes of "Jack's Big Music Show."

Berkner has not performed in the Lehigh Valley since 2003, when she played at Musikfest.

Laurie's upbeat kid-friendly tunes have been a hit with kids and the band recently released "The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band," a collection of the band’s greatest hits from the past decade, which has won a N.A.P.P.A. Silver Honors Award. Children are invited to wear their favorite party hat to the concert and bring birthday cake artwork, available at www.laurieberkner.com, which they have colored.

The band also will partner with Soles4Souls, an organization that provides shoes to people in need in 125 countries. Families can bring new or gently used children’s shoes to the concert to donate.

“It’s important for us to give back to the communities we perform in,” Berkner says.

The band also appears in a new DVD "Let's Hear it for the Laurie Berkner Band," a collection of the band's videos that have appeared on Nick Jr. A new DVD is due out in July.

A former preschool music teacher by day and indie rocker by night, Berkner started selling her music over ten years ago out of her living room on her own label, Two Tomatoes Records, which still publishes the band's music.

This morning, as I blogged earlier, I made my son green eggs for Dr. Suess's birthday. He was fed and dressed I was ready to leave for work, when he dropped the bombshell on me.

"Mom I'm supposed to dress up as a Dr. Suess character for school today," he said.

"What?" I sputtered in disbelief, then a moment later my "mom brain" kicked in and I started the rapid inventory of possibilities that I could throw together in five minutes.

My mind went back to about ten years ago when I was asked to read my favorite Dr. Suess book for Read Across America at an elementary school. (For those interested, the book I read was "I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew," which I love growing up) The school gave all the readers a cool Cat in the Hat hat - the good kind with a wire that makes it stand up. After the event they told us to keep the hats because they couldn't reuse them for sanitary purposes. I almost got rid of it a couple time. I haven't a lot of call for a tall red and white striped hat but it was just the ticket to launch an outfit.

Next I dug a pair of black pants and a black shirt out of his closet. One thing I would recommend to all moms is to save all the old Halloween costumes in a big box. You never know when you might need a clown nose or a witches wig. A quick dig through the box uncovered the white gloves from his Dracula costume, a furry black bow tie from years ago when I dressed as a cat and even a tail (from the same outfit.) Voila - instant Cat in the Hat. He actually looked pretty good.

I don't know how I started this, but my son informs me that every year for as long as he can remember I have made him green eggs and ham on Dr. Suess's birthday. As much as I am a fan of the dear old doctor, I can't say his birthday (which is today March 2) has particularly stuck in my head. More likely I played catch up when some other, more on-top-of-things, mom made their kids green eggs and I followed suit to save face. Now it is a firmly entrenched ritual in our household. And as the Help for Families panel always says rituals are important for children.

Anyway so first thing this morning I was mixing the old green food dye in scrambled eggs to create that unforgettable hue. I had looked online to see if someone had a different technique but I wasn't up to making a pesto sauce, so green dye it was. Yum.

Dr. Suess who died 20 years ago, would've been 107 today. His simple but wonderfully inventive books however seem as fresh as the day he wrote them and are still beloved by children everywhere. Even as an adult I love hearing those wonderful words and rhymes. It's a joy to read them aloud. The most amazing par tof Suess's story is that the iconic "The Cat in the Hat" was written using only a list of 236 words that were considered to be important for first-graders to recognize. My son honed his reading skills on "Hop on Pop" which teaches kids the building blocks of phonics. I read it when I was learning to read.

Today Suess's books still outsell the majority of newly published children's books. So here's to Suess and reading! Happy Birthday!

Aspiring thespians can celebrate the importance of theater by taking part in the national "Theatre in our Schools" during the month of March. The program sponsored by The American Alliance for Theatre and Education invites students to take part in the USA Play Daze. Each day during March the AATE will post the first line of a play on the Play Daze facebook page and student across the country are invited to post the next line to create an original play. Each day during March a new first line will be posted.

Students also can enter the online video contest. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade can submit videos about how being involved to theatre helps them build skills in creativity, empathy and embracing diversity. The grand prize winning student will win a trip to New York City to see a "The Addams Family" Broadway musical.

March 11 is Wear Your Show Shirt to School/Work Day. Students are urged to wear a shirt from a show they've been involved with or seen. Take a pictures of yourself wearing your show shirts and email the pictures to info@aate.com to get a free AATE t-shirt. Pictures will be featured on the AATE website.

Two Rivers Landing - home to Crayola Factory and the National Canal Museum - will be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate National Pig Day with “This Funny Piggy” project. During March also create a A Very Hungry Caterpillar collage, print storybook tales and make storybook character finger puppets. Admission to Two Rivers Landing is $9.75 per person, $9.50 seniors and children 2 and under are free. Info: www.crayolafactory.com or www.canals.org.

Winter is always a great time to visit the Lehigh Valley Zoo - admission is cheaper and many animals prefer the cold weather to the heat of summer. Officials at the Schnecksville zoo say almost all of the animals on can be seen in their exhibits year round and are often more active in cold weather. During the zoo's off-season through March 31, admission is reduced from $9.75 to $7.75 for adults and from $7.75 to $5.75 for children. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but call first in case of bad weather. Info: www.lvzoo.org or 610-799-4171